Report - Draft NYC Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) – March 2024
Purpose of Report - To seek approval for the submission of the NYC draft AQAP in accordance with the statutory duty placed upon the council by Part IV of the Environment Act 1995.
DEFRA Submission Deadline – 31st March 2024
Summary - The North Yorkshire Council Air Quality Action Plan (2024 – 2029) is a statutory document that updates and combines the AQAPs from the former Borough and District Councils within North Yorkshire.
AQAPs are required to convey the measures being undertaken to reduce pollution levels in designated Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs).
It is mandatory to declare an AQMA if pollutant levels exceed objective concentrations dictated by the Government’s UK Air Quality Strategy and implemented by the Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000 (2002 as amended).
Currently the AQMA’s in North Yorkshire are as follows:
1. Knaresborough - Bond End,
2. Harrogate - Wetherby Road,
3. Selby - The Crescent / New Street,
4. Bedale - Town Centre,
5. Knaresborough – York Place - TO REVOKE,
6. Ripon - Low/High Skellgate TO REVOKE,
7. Malton – Town Centre – TO REVOKE,
8. Scarborough – Staithes – TO REVOKE.
AQMA’s 1-7 were created due to exceedances of the nitrogen dioxide annual mean objective of 40µg/m3 associated with traffic pollution. AQMA 8 was created due to an exceedance of the annual mean objective for PM10 which is also 40 µg/m3. This was due to domestic solid fuel burning.
It is a requirement to revoke an AQMA if pollutant levels fall below the objective level for 5 consecutive years. It is proposed therefore to revoke the AQMAs in locations 5,6, 7 and 8, where measures have been successful in reducing pollution to compliant levels.
The remaining locations (1- 4) either have not demonstrated compliance levels for the required 5 years, or continued monitoring is deemed necessary due to the possible effects of proposed developments on air quality.
For the remaining AQMAs, a source apportionment has been undertaken to determine the proportion of NO2 attributable to each traffic type. This may be useful when working with partners in identifying ways to reduce pollutant levels. An officer’s Air Quality Steering Group has therefore been set up to discuss ways of tackling air pollution in a holistic manner with a view to embedding air quality into council plans and policies in the same way as climate change, which shares many of the same contributing factors.
Members of the steering group are therefore drawn from departments including Highways, Transport Planning, Planning, Public Health and Climate Change. The steering group is the principal method of consulting with other departments within NYC. As Public Health are now directly involved with this process, it enables reports to be signed-off by the Director of Public Health, in compliance with a DEFRA recommendation. A list of consultees recommended by DEFRA is contained in table 4.1 of the AQAP.
It is acknowledged that although the Scientific Team from Regulatory Services compiles these statutory reports, it is from other service areas that the solutions must come.
A map of each AQMA proposed to be retained is included in the report as is a list of measures being undertaken to improve air quality within them. Progress of the AQAP will be monitored as part of the Air Quality Annual Status Report produced every June, and the AQAP will also be subject to a review after 5 years in 2029.
It is requested that this draft AQAP be approved for submission by the Corporate Director – Environment.
Dr Kevin Carr
Divisional Officer – Scientific
Regulatory Services
North Yorkshire Council
Telephone: 01748 901180
Email: kevin.carr@northyorks.gov.uk